Why Bullying Must Be Stopped

Bullying Defined

The National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center (NYVPRC) defines bullying as an "aggressive behavior that is persistent, intentional and involves an imbalance of power or strength." Bullies' aggression can be physical, in which they hit their victims; verbal, in which they tease them; emotional, in which they intimidate through social actions; and cyber, in which they use email or social websites, such as MySpace or Facebook, to insult or threaten them.

Research compiled by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) "Stop Bullying Now!" program countered commonly held beliefs that bullies are typically loners. Their research showed that they usually make friends easily and most often have small groups of friends who support their aggressive behavior. Boys are more likely to be involved in physical bullying; girls are more likely to be involved in emotional and cyber bullying.

Almost all bullying occurs within the school environment. In its collaborative 2002 report, "Bullying Behaviors Among Children and Adolescents," the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice estimated that nearly 1 in 5 students ages 12 through 18 had reported fearing an attack in or near school. The American Medical Association (AMA) published a report about bullying that same year which detailed that half of all students in the U.S. are bullied at least once and that 10 percent of students are frequently bullied.

Without early intervention to correct their aggressiveness, bullies will develop more antisocial and rule-breaking behavior that they can carry through to adulthood, warns the AMA. According to the HSS, boys who were identified as bullies in middle school were four times more likely than their non-bullying peers to have more than one criminal conviction by age 24.

Victims experience more physical and psychological problems than those who are not bullied; they can become withdrawn, disillusioned and chronically depressed, and their academic performance can suffer. Most alarming, a 2008 review by the Yale School of Medicine's Child Study Center of 37 international studies of bullying and youth suicide found signs of an apparent connection between bullying, being bullied and suicide in children. Several studies reviewed by the center showed bullied children were 2 to 9 times more likely to think about suicide than their non-bullied peers.

A 2007 review published by the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine concluded that "Whole school interventions involving teachers, administrators and social workers committed to culture change are the most effective [in preventing bullying] and are especially effective at the junior and senior high school level."
The involvement of caring parents---whether their child is the bully or the victim---is equally important to school actions, states the AMA. Those who have difficulties communicating with their children are urged to seek professional guidance for the happiness and well-being of their kids.